


Sonderlich (in Widerstreit)

by xslytherclawx



Series: ô saisons, ô châteaux (ravenclaw au) [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Jewish Character, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Quidditch, Ravenclaw Regulus Black, Regulus Black-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-07-28 22:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16250798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xslytherclawx/pseuds/xslytherclawx
Summary: Regulus's second year in Ravenclaw House finds him making new friends, chafing under his family's expectations, and trying to balance Quidditch, school, and a social life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Warum bin ich doch so sonderlich und in Widerstreit mit allem, zerfallen mit den Lehrern und fremd unter den anderen Jungen?_  
>  Thomas Mann, _Tonio Kröger_ , 1903.
> 
> * * *
> 
> We're back for Year Two!  
> This year focuses primarily on Regulus's personal growth as he becomes more comfortable with himself.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus goes to Diagon Alley.

The first month of summer holidays passed uneventfully. Regulus knew better than to ask about visiting his friends, so he spent a lot of time working on his homework and writing his friends letters. He practised flying in the backyard, because he knew he had to make the Quidditch team, and most days Sirius joined him (when he wasn’t sulking or sneaking off to Potter’s).

Kreacher made him special treats, and Regulus didn’t have it in him to protest that it was far too warm for hot chocolate.

Regulus came down to the kitchen for breakfast one morning in late July to find his Hogwarts letter already opened and at his normal place. Sirius came down moments later and sat across from him, looking annoyed. But then that was normal at home.

“This is a violation of privacy,” Sirius grumbled, looking through his letter.

There was no privacy in their parents’ home, and surely Sirius understood this by now. Regulus looked at his own letter. All O’s, except for one E in Herbology. He bit into a sausage as he read through his course materials list. He’d have to really work on Herbology, then. There was to be a new Defense teacher, but from everything he’d heard, that was hardly unusual.

His mother came down into the kitchen. “Regulus, darling,” she said. Regulus looked up. “We do expect you to  _ maintain _ those grades when you make the Quidditch team.”

“Of course,” Regulus said. It didn’t occur to him, not fully, how unreasonable this conditional affection was. There was no mention of his E, at least, which was a good sign. “Although… would it be possible to go to Diagon Alley with my friends?”

His mother’s eyes narrowed. “Still those Half-Bloods?”

Regulus nodded. “Yes.” He knew better than to lie outright about something like that, especially since she’d find out, anyway. He wasn’t convinced that half of Slytherin house wasn’t getting paid to ferry reports back to his parents. And it wasn’t as if his friends were  _ Muggleborns. _

She appeared to consider it for a moment. “Very well,” she said. “It will save me the  _ shame _ of being seen in public with two sons who couldn’t even be  _ bothered _ to be sorted into Slytherin.”

That was, Regulus knew, the best offer he was going to get. The guilt trip almost didn’t affect him anymore. Almost. He wasn’t his brother, after all. “Thank you,” he said, because he knew he had to.

Sirius perked up. “Wait, does this mean I can go with my friends, too?”

Walburga shot him a withering glare. “You may  _ chaperone _ your brother.”

It was more than either of them had anticipated, and Regulus made the wise decision to turn his attention to his breakfast rather than say anything at all. Kreacher fetched him an extra scone and cream, for which Regulus was grateful.

At least he still had Kreacher on his side.

* * *

Once they'd fetched money from the Gringotts vault, Regulus met his friends (with Mrs. Scamander) outside of Flourish and Blotts. Isaac had somehow wormed his way away from his family, and was talking to Mrs. Scamander about something.

It was Max who caught sight of Regulus first. “Reg!” He called, and so Regulus went over to him. Sirius looked around for his own friends, whom he’d doubtlessly written to come along if Regulus knew his brother at all.

Max hugged him  _ immediately _ once he was close enough, and Regulus truthfully hadn’t realised how much he’d missed Max’s enthusiastic brand of physical affection in the past month. “How has your summer been? I mean, I know we’ve been writing, but has there been anything else?”

“No,” Regulus said, “Not that I can think of.”

“What about our mother opening our Hogwarts letters?” Sirius asked. “Don’t you think that’s worthy of telling your Half-Blood best friend… because I’m sure she knows how to repair a broken seal.”

Regulus frowned and turned to his brother. “I am well aware that there’s no real privacy with her. I don’t write anything I wouldn’t say in front of her.”

Sirius opened his mouth for a witty retort, but closed it after apparently seeing something in Mrs. Scamander’s expression that he didn’t like. “Look,” he said, instead, “I know Mum said I’m to chaperone you, but I told my mates I’d meet them here…”

“I assumed as much,” Regulus said. “I won’t tell her.”

“Good,” Sirius said, and then wandered off. After a moment, Max let go of Regulus, and Regulus found himself missing the physical contact.

“You know, Regulus,” Mrs. Scamander began in a much gentler voice than normal, “Opening your letters… not respecting your privacy… that’s not really something your mother should be doing.”

“I know,” Regulus said with a shrug. “But there’s nothing I can do to stop it, so I’ll just be careful until I turn seventeen.” Sirius wasn’t careful, and that was, after all, why their parents were so much worse to him. That and the fact that he was a Gryffindor.

Mrs. Scamander rather looked like she had half a mind to say something else, but Max took Regulus by the hand. “Have you got your books yet?”

Regulus shook his head. “Not yet. We just went to Gringotts.”

Max grinned. “Excellent. We should go there first, so we can budget for everything else after.” And Max dragged him into the shop, Isaac and Mrs. Scamander following behind. “Mum has a compulsive need to protect people,” Max whispered once he thought they were safe. “She actually nearly got fired from MACUSA for trying to protect a boy from a bad situation right before she met my dad. She  _ did _ get kicked off of the Auror team and forced to work in the wand permit office. Best to distract her, really.”

Regulus wasn’t sure what to think about that, so he tried to change the subject. “Have you heard anything about our new Defense teacher?”

Max shook his head. “Nothing. Which is strange, isn’t it?”

Regulus fell easily into speculation with Max about their new teacher, and he knew he just needed to last another month in his parents’ house. One more month, and he’d get to see his friends every single day, and only have to deal with his parents through twice monthly letters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm unsure if I'll go for a weekly posting schedule or a biweekly one like last time – it'll likely depend on my schedule, honestly, but this entire fic is all written and ready to post, so there shouldn't be any major delays


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus realises he might be the sidekick in his own story, and Barty makes an appearance.

It was with a great rush of relief that Regulus boarded the Hogwarts Express on September first. He found his friends already sitting in their own compartment. Max jumped up from his spot and hugged Regulus as soon as he saw him. “Hey!” he said.

Isaac rolled his eyes from his seat. “I think he’s had too many sweets already today.”

Max grinned and let go of Regulus to flop down on his spot. “It’s not my fault adults think I suffer from a fatal chocolate deficiency.”

“Unbelievable,” Isaac muttered.

“I missed you both,” Regulus said, and maybe that was disgustingly sentimental, but neither of his friends seemed to mind.

“We missed you, too,” Max said. “Even Isaac.”

“Of course I missed you,” Isaac said. “We’re _friends_ . Besides… David _was_ insufferable all month. Prefect.”

“Then we can get away with whatever we want,” Max said.

“No,” Isaac said. “That is absolutely _not_ what that means.”

“Oh, come off it,” Max said. “If he gives you detention or docks you points, you can just write your parents.”

“Who will doubtlessly ask me why I was breaking school rules,” Isaac said.

“We could,” Regulus said, “use it to our advantage, though. Get more points docked from my brother and his friends. And from Crouch. Ravenclaw could win the house cup.”

“Well,” Isaac said, thinking on it, “I don’t suppose David would be against that.”

“Then it’s settled,” Regulus said.

They sat and talked for a good twenty minutes until the door opened.

Barty Crouch stuck his head in. Of course he’d had to ruin it.

“What do _you_ want?” Isaac snapped.

“ _I_ was looking for Avery and Mulciber, but Black’s just as well.”

Regulus knew by now that it was better not to dignify Barty with a reply. Eventually he’d get bored and leave.

“I saw your cousin,” Barty said. “ _Andromeda,_ with her Mudblood husband. At one of those awful Ministry parties Father drags me to every summer.”

Regulus turned his attention, instead, to the wicker basket that doubtlessly contained Thalia.

“She missed you, too, I think,” Max said. “She made a habit of laying on your letters in particular.”

“She’s pregnant,” Barty said. “Your cousin is.”

 _That_ surprised Regulus, but he did his best to act as if this was common knowledge, and focused on getting Thalia out of her carrier.

“I don’t know how the Blacks expect to handle that.”

They’d _already_ handled it by disowning Andromeda two years ago when she’d gone off and married her Muggleborn husband. Although… Regulus had rather thought that Andromeda had married a Muggle proper, the way his family had carried on. He did wonder, sometimes, how she was doing, but he wasn’t nearly stupid enough to ask. Even Narcissa, much as she doted on him, wouldn’t dignify that inquiry with a response.

After a few minutes, Barty left the compartment, and there was a collective sigh of relief.

“I don’t understand why he has to keep bothering you,” Max said.

“Because he thinks he and I are destined to be best friends. Proper pureblood boys who’ve disappointed their parents by getting sorted into the wrong house. He doesn’t seem to grasp that I’m not interested.”

“Well, _and_ he thinks that a Black is much too good to be hanging round with a couple of Jewish Half-Bloods,” Isaac said.

“And he’s wrong about that,” Regulus said, although he was _certain_ his parents agreed with Barty in that, at least.

He made a mental note to ask Sirius if he knew about Andromeda, because he doubted Barty had outright lied about that. Andromeda had always been Sirius’s favorite cousin, anyway.

* * *

When the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade station, Regulus, Max, and Isaac went to get one of the horseless carriages. They weren’t able to get one alone, but they found one with Emmeline Vance, one of the Ravenclaw girls in their year. Regulus liked Emmeline well enough – she was clever and kind and didn’t seem to hold either his brother’s or the rest of his family’s actions against him.

Max, being Max, talked the entire way to the castle, which alleviated some of the awkwardness of having a girl suddenly thrown into their group. They all walked to the Ravenclaw table together and sat there together.

“I dunno who made _David_ Prefect,” Isaac was saying. “He’s got no sense of humour, no sense of fun.”

“You’re one to talk,” Max said.

“Exactly!” Isaac said. “ _I’m_ the one saying this! So that’s got to mean something!”

“As long as my brother doesn’t wind up a Prefect,” Regulus said. “Then we’ll know there’s something seriously wrong with how they select Prefects.”

Emmeline cast her gaze over toward the Gryffindor table, where Sirius was, predictably, making a fool of himself. “You have a point. Prefects are meant to be responsible.”

“David’s going to lead a reign of terror,” Isaac said. “Mark my words.”

“Who do you think of us will be made Prefect?” Max asked.

Isaac snorted. “Not you. You once forgot a remembrall. I can’t imagine you’d remember Prefect duties.”

“Reg’ll be playing Quidditch,” Max said, throwing an arm casually across Regulus’s shoulders. “So I suppose that leaves you.”

Regulus could picture Isaac as Prefect. “Probably,” he agreed. “I don’t think I’m cut out for that, anyway.”

“Half the job would be reigning you two in,” Isaac said.

“Reigning _us_ in?” Regulus asked. Max was one thing, but Regulus always thought he was rather well-behaved, himself.

“Oh, please,” Isaac said. “You always go along with whatever Max says, and he has no impulse control.”

“Who needs impulse control when I have you, Isaac?” Max teased.

“I don’t always go along with _whatever_ Max says,” Regulus said.

“Tell me _one_ time Max asked you to do something, and you actually said no.”

Regulus thought about it. Well, he hadn’t gone to the seaside with Max over summer, but that had been because his parents had forbidden it.

“And your parents not allowing whatever he asked you to do doesn’t count, because that’s not _you_.”

Regulus tried to think of a counterexample, because he was _certain_ he didn’t _always_ do whatever Max requested of him, barring the times his parents forbade it, but after a few seconds, he realised with growing terror, he had never _once_ said no to Max. Was this what it felt like to be a sidekick in a novel?

“Isaac, stop teasing him,” Max said. Yes, Regulus realised, he was _definitely_ the sidekick. “Why, just two weeks ago I wrote Reg a letter asking him to send me back some chocolate because it was too long a walk to the village, and he sent me back a note telling me that I was being lazy and dramatic.”

The note had, however, included a bar of Honeyduke’s chocolate that Regulus had stolen from his brother’s secret stash, but there was really no need for Max to tell Isaac that.

Max’s arm was still draped casually over Regulus’s shoulder, and maybe the protagonist thing to do would be to shake him off, but Regulus didn’t. Max was his best friend, after all, and Regulus had grown to love the small acts of physical affection Max showered him with. Besides, he did the same to Isaac, really.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus tries out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> featuring a revamp of a super old OC of mine from... 2007? Way before I was posting on AO3.

Quidditch tryouts were during and after the second week of classes, and Regulus made his way to the pitch with his Nimbus 1001 on Sunday morning for the Ravenclaw team tryouts. Max and Isaac had had classes for their b’nei mitzvah, and so were unable to be in the stands for moral support.

“As you all know,” the Ravenclaw captain, Elizabeth Prewett, began, “our team took quite the loss last term. We’re looking for two new Chasers, a new Beater, and a new Seeker.”

Regulus really wasn’t sure what position he was hoping for, but looking at the other students’ brooms, he could see that he had an advantage. He signed up try out for Chaser and Seeker.

The weather was overcast, but dry, which was perfect for Quidditch.

Prewett made them fly laps first, and Regulus couldn’t help but notice the competition thin considerably.

She made everyone trying out for Chaser try to score goals, and Regulus managed to make every one. He noticed, with no small sense of pride, that he’d even beaten out some older students.

The Beaters tried out next, so Regulus sat on the sidelines and watched. He knew he had to make the team – his mother would never let him live it down if he didn’t. He wondered, though, watching the Beaters try out, why Sirius wasn’t on his house’s team. Surely he was good enough.

Before Regulus knew it, it was time for the Seeker tryouts. No other student could match his Nimbus 1001, and he felt a sense of pride when he caught the snitch in record time – which was only dampened by the fact that his friends weren’t there to cheer him on.

Prewett thanked everyone for coming out and said she’d have a list the next day, posted in the common room, and so, with lack of anything better to do, Regulus dropped his broom off, showered, and went to the library.

* * *

He found Sirius waiting at the library’s entrance, looking like he was ready to burst with impatience. It didn’t take long for Regulus to realise why.

“Did you make it?” Sirius asked.

“What?”

“The Quidditch team! I tried to watch, but Prewett kicked me out, claimed I was spying for Gryffindor, which is a load of bollocks because _we_ always beat Ravenclaw anyway.”

There was something touching about the fact that Sirius had tried to see him try out for the team, and had (likely) posted himself at the library because he knew Regulus would eventually find his way there.

“I’ll know tomorrow,” Regulus said, trying not to be too obviously nervous.

Sirius grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll make it.”

“Thanks,” Regulus managed.

Sirius frowned. “Do you _want_ to make the team?” He asked.

“Of course I do,” Regulus answered. He did genuinely love Quidditch. He loved flying, he loved playing on a team… and he was sure he’d take some definite pleasure in helping the Ravenclaw team beat Gryffindor and Slytherin both.

“Because you don’t have to do things just because Mum and Dad want you to.”

“I’m not,” Regulus said.

Sirius ruffled his hair and grinned despite (or, more likely, because of) Regulus’s protests. “I’ll be proud of you no matter what, and I’ll make my mates root for Ravenclaw in every game except the one against Gryffindor.”

* * *

Regulus went back to his dorm before dinner, and was walking back through the common room on the way to the trap door when Prewett caught him by the arm. “Black, do you have a moment?”

This was about the Quidditch team, so even though he knew Max and Isaac would be down in the Great Hall for dinner, he nodded. “Sure.”

Prewett led him to one of the sofas and cast a muffling charm. “I’ll be quick, because I’m sure you want to get down to dinner.”

“I appreciate that,” Regulus said.

Prewett smiled and Regulus realised that she was actually rather pretty when she wasn’t being terrifying. “I’ll be honest. I want you on the team.”

Regulus sensed a “but”, so he nodded.

“We’ve got strong options for Chaser and Seeker, both, so I thought I’d give you the choice.”

“You’re… giving _me_ the choice?”

Prewett nodded. “Think of it as a test. Because it is. Think on it, and get back to me after dinner, all right?”

* * *

Max and Isaac were at the Ravenclaw table already when Regulus arrived at dinner. He sat across from Max, next to Emmeline. “Reg! How were Quidditch tryouts?”

“Great,” Regulus said, stuffing a sausage in his mouth as Isaac made a face and poked at his chicken. “How was class?”

“ _Mine_ went great,” Max said.

“Yours is half in English,” Isaac countered. “And ages away!”

Max rolled his eyes. “You could always ask your rabbi to use more English. Besides… it’s not like mine’s _all_ in English. And most of it’s out of necessity.”

“You’ve also barely got a minyan at your synagogue… you’re not going up at one of the biggest synagogues in wizarding Britain.”

“You’ve also had longer to prepare,” Max said. “And anyway, _Regulus_ has news, too!”

“Not really,” Regulus said, although he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear Max and Isaac bicker much longer. “I’ve just got to figure out if I’d rather be Chaser or Seeker.”

“Well,” Max said, “which do you play better?”

Regulus thought on it. “Well, I suppose that’d be Seeker. Especially since I don’t think any other House has got a Seeker on a Nimbus 1001, and skill aside, a better broom can make or break a game.”

“But…?” Isaac asked.

“But the Seeker doesn’t really _play_. You look for the snitch and try to catch it first. It’s not… really being out there on a _team_.”

“And you want to show you’re a team player,” Emmeline said.

“Exactly.”

“If you’re better at being Seeker,” Max said, “then that’s it. Maybe you’d miss some of the camaraderie, but the game doesn’t end until the Seeker catches the snitch, right?”

Quidditch was decidedly _not_ an interest Regulus’s friends shared, but he did appreciate their attempt to show an interest in it for his sake. “Right. Maybe, I… I think I’ll talk to Sirius.”

“That might be better,” Max admitted. “I don’t know much about Quidditch at all, really. Just that… I think most of Dorset goes for Puddlemere.”

Dorset was a fair split for Puddlemere and Wimbourne, and even _Regulus_ knew that, despite having been to Dorset once in his life. Having met Max’s family, though, he couldn’t say he was surprised. “I’ll be back in a few, then,” he said. “Please don’t start fighting again.”

“Reg! When would we _ever_?” Max did his best to look angelic, and Regulus rolled his eyes as Isaac laughed.

He went over to the Gryffindor table next, where Sirius was laughing at some no doubt tasteless joke one of his friends had just told. Regulus tapped him on the shoulder. “Do you have a second?”

Sirius grinned. “For you, baby brother, I have ten seconds.”

It was a stupid joke, and Regulus fought the urge to roll his eyes as his brother followed him out of the Great Hall to a more secluded corridor. “The Ravenclaw captain’s told me I’m meant to pick between Chaser and Seeker, and that it’s some sort of _test_ …”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “You Ravenclaws and your _tests_.”

“Are you going to help me, or not?”

“That _would_ technically be helping the enemy…”

“I’m your _brother_ , you’re not on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and Ravenclaw doesn’t even play Gryffindor until spring term.”

Sirius laughed. “Fine, fine. Seeker. No one’ll be able to beat that broom you’ve got, and you’re small… and judging by our family, you’ll stay small. Chasers may actually _play_ more, but everyone likes the Seeker better.”

“I don’t really care about which one people _like_ more. I care about making the team.”

“The _logical_ conclusion is Seeker. Anyone else going out for that have a Nimbus? Let alone a 1001?”

Regulus thought back. “No. Lots of Cleansweeps, but no Nimbus.”

“Then there you go. And like I said,” Sirius said, pausing to ruffle Regulus’s hair, “my mates and I will root for you in every game _except_ when you play us.”

* * *

If Elizabeth Prewett seemed satisfied with Regulus’s answer, she was doubly so with his reasoning. “Wonderful,” she said. “I was going to put you as Seeker anyway, but knowing that you actually evaluated the team’s needs makes me much more confident in my choice.”

“What would you have said if I’d said I wanted to be a Chaser?” Regulus asked.

“I’d have told you that I appreciate your willingness for sportsmanship, or understand you desire to be out of the spotlight, depending on why you said Chaser, but that your talents were more desperately needed as Seeker. We might be Ravenclaws, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want to wipe the floor with Slytherin and Gryffindor on the Quidditch pitch.”

Regulus smiled at that. “Agreed.”

* * *

A week after their first practise, Prewett surprised everyone with Ravenclaw team Quidditch jumpers. “I made the mistake of writing my cousin that I’d been made Captain,” she explained as she handed them out, pink in the face. “She knitted everyone jumpers, and what was I supposed to do?”

Regulus wore his whenever he had the opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an update – we're now completely written through year four!  
> If you have any questions about any of the Jewish stuff, feel free to ask! Thestias suggested I put together a guide, but that's slow going, so in the meantime, definitely ask!  
> If you guess who Lizzy Prewett's cousin is, you get a reward!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something strange happens with Sirius and his friends.

“What’s going on with them?” Isaac asked, nodding toward where Regulus’s brother and his friends were sitting in the courtyard. There was a new addition to their group: a Muggleborn girl Regulus knew vaguely from Slug Club. What was her name? Everton? No, it was Evans, wasn’t it?

“Maybe they decided they needed a girl’s point of view,” Max said.

Regulus watched them. Sirius was visibly stressed, but then again, perhaps that wasn’t obvious to everyone. He looked like he was trying to hide it, but his stick-straight posture and squared shoulders gave it away. “I don’t think so,” Regulus said.

“Maybe she fancies one of them, then,” Max said, “or one of them fancies her. Or both.”

“Is it weird to have your brother be one of the most popular blokes in school?” Isaac asked.

Regulus shrugged. “Better than than a prefect.”

Regulus wondered, privately, how much of his brother’s obvious stress was due to the girl herself, and how much was due to her blood. He rather didn’t think his brother did as good as a job as he seemed to think at shaking their family’s prejudices. (Nor had Regulus, really, but at least he recognized that he still had work to do).

Max sighed and stretched out onto Regulus and Isaac’s laps, and Regulus didn’t think about his brother and his friends for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

At dinner, while Max and Isaac played their typical melodramatic game they loved whenever pork chops were served (and Regulus helped himself to two), Sirius threw himself down in the spot next to his brother.

“Er…?”

“Mind if I sit with you for a while, baby brother?” Sirius asked, and Regulus noticed he was as tense as he’d been earlier that afternoon. “My friends have all been distracted by a conniving harpy.”

“I don’t think Evans is a _harpy_ ,” Max said. “I’ve met her at Slug Club; she’s always been really nice, and she’s clever, too.”

Sirius pulled a face. “Don’t tell me you’ve got it for her, too?”

Max actually laughed out loud, and it quickly became nearly hysteric. Isaac and Regulus looked on, concerned, but after a minute or so, Max quieted down, still gasping for breath. “ _Definitely_ not,” Max said. “The very idea…”

“What, because of her blood?” Sirius asked.

Max snorted and turned back to his pumpkin juice. Regulus wondered if his flushed face was just due to his earlier laughter. “Hardly.” He jabbed a thumb at Isaac. “This one’s mum’s a Muggleborn, and she’s one of the most lovely people I’ve ever met in my life, and my dad always says his first real friend was a Muggle.”

“You sure you aren’t projecting?” Regulus asked his brother.

“I’m _not_ projecting.”

“I’m not interested in dating _Gryffindors_ ,” Max said, “and… to be honest, I’m not much interested in dating in general.”

“If only _my_ friends weren’t trying to date Evans,” Sirius grumbled, helping himself to a pork chop. He looked to Isaac. “What about you, Goldstein?”

Isaac glanced over at Lily Evans and shrugged. “She’s pretty, but I don’t think I could date a Gryffindor, either.”

* * *

“That was weird,” Regulus said that night in the blessedly Sirius-free zone that was the Ravenclaw second year boys’ dormitory.

“I can’t believe he thought I fancied Evans,” Max said as he tried to get Thalia out from under his bed.

“If I didn’t know better,” Isaac said, “I’d think _he_ fancied Evans.”

Regulus shrugged. “I just think he can’t quite shake our parents’ prejudices, and he doesn’t know how to address it.”

“Yeah, but two of his best friends are Half-Bloods,” Isaac said.

“That’s different,” Regulus said, because he _absolutely_ knew that much from experience. “Even the staunchest purist wouldn’t deny that Half-Bloods are witches and wizards.” His mother thought Max and Isaac were _below him_ , of course, but she never denied that they were wizards in their own right.

Max frowned. “But they don’t think Muggleborns are?”

Regulus played with the hem of his sleeve, feeling uncomfortable. “We were taught that they steal magic. I _know_ it’s rubbish now, of course, and between Cresswell and Evans and Isaac’s mum, obviously there’s no real difference when it comes to magical ability. But knowing it logically doesn’t mean that you’re not susceptible to those prejudices.”

“You were taught they _steal magic_?” Isaac asked.

“That’s what our mum always said, at least. And my aunt and uncle. I’m not… sure about other families, but…”

“How are they supposed to have _stolen_ this magic?”

“I dunno, I guess… with wands? I _know_ it’s rubbish and nonsensical, but if you ask any Slytherin…”

“Are squibs just magical people who _refuse_ to use their magic?” Isaac asked.

Regulus shrugged. “Mum never talked about squibs.”

“How could you not talk about squibs, when they’ve spent our whole lives fighting for their rights? It’s been in the Prophet for as long as I can remember!”

“You honestly think our parents let us hear non-family accounts of the world?” Regulus asked. “If I brought home a copy of the Prophet, my mother would be _furious_.” He didn’t think she’d send a spell at _him_ , but he was sure she wasn’t above lightly starving him for a day or two until he got the message.

“Isaac isn’t angry with _you_ ,” Max said, walking over to sit on the edge of Regulus’s bed. “You’ve just got to remember that this is a bit more… personal for him.”

“It’s not as if I think they’re _right_ about it,” Regulus said. “I’ve met far too many capable Muggleborns to believe that, but… it’s not like I can just turn it off, and Sirius has never thought half as much as I do about things, so who’s to say that for him it’s not just all on a surface level?”

Isaac said something angry in yiddish, and Max rolled his eyes and replied in English, “Reg’s our _friend_ , and I hardly think he likes that racist bollocks any more than I do.”

“I don’t,” Regulus said. “And I’m trying to get better about it, but it’s a process.”

“You _know_ unlearning racist shit takes time,” Max said.

“That doesn’t mean I have to like finding out that Pureblood wankers think my mum _stole_ her magic! You know obscurials have always been far more common in Muggleborns than in anyone else!”

“Considering my dad was the one who published that paper, yes, I do,” Max said. “Just don’t take it out on Reg, okay? You’re allowed to be angry, but he’s our _friend._ ”

Isaac flopped back down on his bed. “You think Sirius hasn’t worked through it?”

“I don’t think he’s _tried_ ,” Regulus said honestly. “I’ve never minded Max giving me a run for top of the class, but when the other two are Cresswell and Crouch… I mean, by all accounts, a Muggleborn should have a harder time getting better marks than three boys who were all raised in wizarding households. Crouch works himself half to death to beat me out, but Cresswell… I’m sure he’s _trying_ , he’s a Hufflepuff, but I don’t think he tries half as hard as Crouch or I do.”

“Meanwhile,” Max said, “if I ever _actually_ tried, it would all be over for you.”

Regulus laughed. “I’d pay to see that.”

“Evans is top of her class,” Isaac said.

“But Sirius doesn’t care about grades. I don’t think he’s had anything shocking enough to make him reevaluate beyond ‘Slytherins are all purist wankers’.”

“And then,” Isaac said, “I suppose if he _did_ fancy Evans, it would make it harder for him to admit it.”

Regulus _really_ didn’t think Sirius had given Evans much thought beyond treating her as a petty annoyance. But he shrugged, to avoid annoying Isaac any more than he already had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eventually I'll write Sirius's account of this subplot, but I haven't managed that quite yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus gets into a bit of a disagreement.

Regulus had assumed this would all blow over by Halloween, but Sirius joined him at the Ravenclaw table for the Halloween feast, and Regulus glanced over to the Gryffindor table to see Evans, Lupin, Potter, and Pettigrew all sitting together.

Isaac shot Regulus a meaningful look, and Regulus couldn’t do more than shrug. Sirius didn’t talk about things – they’d been raised to see feelings as a sign of weakness, and Regulus was sure that without Narcissa and Max, he’d have been the same way. Sirius certainly would never talk to Regulus about his feelings, so there was little to do but wait for it to blow over. Which Regulus was sure it would, inevitably.

“I don’t _need_ Remus Lupin when I have my brother,” Sirius said, apparently catching the way Isaac was looking at him.

“I thought James Potter was your best mate,” Max said, and Regulus _did_ think it was strange that his brother was focusing so much on Lupin, but then, _Sirius_ was strange.

“That’s different,” Sirius said shortly. “He’s not a _traitor_. He just _supports_ them because he wants to get under Evans’s skirt.”

Regulus and Max pulled a face. Regulus didn’t want to think about that, even if it were true.

“I’m half convinced it’s all just to piss Snivellus off,” Sirius continued, not seeming to notice. “Because somehow she’s best mates with that Slytherin greaseball, and he’s like… obsessed with Remus, which is stupid because Remus isn’t anything special, not judging by how he’s just so willing to throw aside his best friend in the world for some conniving harpy.”

Regulus wasn’t sure how Sirius was meant to be Remus Lupin’s best friend, but Remus Lupin wasn’t meant to be his. But then… if he actually thought about it (and he tried not to, because it made him anxious), he was fairly sure that Max preferred him over Isaac – and Isaac still seemed to prefer Max over him. Perhaps it was like that, then?

Max seemed to understand something, because he shot Regulus some sort of cryptic look.

“Er,” Regulus said. “I’ve got to run to the loo.”

“Me too!” Max said. “I’ll go with you.”

“Just leave me here with him, then,” Isaac said, with no small amount of sarcasm in his voice. “That’s fine.”

Max grinned and hugged him. “We’ll be right back.”

They left the Great Hall together, but Max pulled Regulus down to the same corridor Sirius had over a year ago. What was it with that corridor?

“I think I’ve figured it out,” Max said.

“Okay,” Regulus said. Max could come up with some batty theories, but he _was_ clever, so perhaps this was something they could actually use to resolve their problem.

“Isaac was actually closest,” Max said. “Only he was also totally wrong.”

“So Sirius fancies Evans, but he doesn’t?” That didn’t make any sense.

“It’s not _Evans_ ,” Max whispered. “He barely even mentions her, except to talk about what a harpy he thinks she is. But he waxes poetic about Remus Lupin.”

Regulus laughed. “You think my brother _fancies_ Lupin?”

“I’m almost certain of it!”

“Try again, Max,” Regulus said. He knew his brother, and his brother _definitely_ didn’t fancy Remus Lupin. There was no way.

“You _know_ it’s actually _possible_ for pureblood wizards to be gay, right? It’s just that they’re even more miserable than the rest of you.”

“Max, I think I would know if my _brother_ were _gay_. We spent our entire childhood together with only our cousins for company.”

“So you never really met other boys,” Max said. “I’m telling you, Reg, that’s it!”

It didn’t make any sense. Sirius talked a lot about girls, if perhaps only in the abstract and never naming any names, and had even smuggled in some tasteless pictures of Muggle bikini models into his room the previous summer. So what if he never really seemed to talk about real girls? Regulus didn’t, either. They’d both be married off to someone they probably wouldn’t choose, so what was the point?

“No,” Regulus said. “I know my brother, and he’s not gay.”

“Then why is he so fixated on Lupin?”

“Maybe he’s annoyed because Lupin’s normally the only one of them with sense.” Which was true, for the record. Potter was even more mad than Sirius, and Pettigrew went along with whatever Potter and Sirius said. Lupin was the only one who’d ever seemed to try to use common sense.

“Would you care if he were? Gay, that is?”

Regulus shrugged. “He’d definitely be disowned, but that’s probably just a matter of time, anyway. I wouldn’t put it past him to shack up with some Muggleborn like our cousin Dromeda.”

“But would _you_ care?”

“I’d care if he were _disowned_ ,” Regulus said, and he knew he was avoiding the question, but he didn’t care. His brother wasn’t gay. That’s all there was to it.

“But would you care if he wanted to kiss other boys?”

Regulus wasn’t sure why Max was so insistent on this, and he crossed his arms. “I dunno. I’ve never thought about it. Homosexual purebloods don’t exist.”

“But they _do_ ,” Max said. “You know that.”

“And then they go on and continue their family lines like the rest of us, so there’s functionally no difference.”

“You don’t actually _believe_ that.”

“All we can hope for, me and Sirius, is that our parents like us enough to not force us to marry someone we despise. I want Sirius to be happy, of course…”

“And you think if he’s gay, he won’t be happy.”

“He’s not gay,” Regulus said, “but I can’t imagine he would be happy if he were, in our family.”

“But you know there’s nothing wrong with it,” Max said, and his tone was just a bit more desperate than Regulus thought the situation called for.

“Sure,” Regulus said. “But if he’s gay, he’ll be disowned or miserable. Or both. And I want him to be happy, and I don’t want to have to sneak around just to see him.”

“Okay,” Max said. “But is that just because he’s Sirius? What if Lupin’s gay?”

“Max, I honestly do not give a fig about _Remus Lupin’s_ sexuality.”

“What if – what if _Isaac’s_ gay?” Max asked.

Regulus furrowed his brows. Max certainly knew Isaac better than he did. “You think he is?”

“Of course not,” Max said. “He’s spent all term staring at Emmeline Vance, even though he thinks we don’t notice. But if he _were_ …”

Regulus shrugged. “He’s not, so why worry about it? Come on, we’re missing the feast.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius still won't leave Regulus and his friends alone.

Sirius was everywhere, after that. He stood with Regulus during the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match, and Regulus didn’t think he was imagining the dirty look James Potter sent their way.

Max and Isaac were off studying with their rabbis, and Regulus actually felt strangely relieved. Max had been acting strange ever since the Halloween Feast. Regulus wondered if maybe they were fighting. Max had seemed really upset that Regulus thought his brother was straight, and Regulus couldn’t figure out why for the life of him. It wasn’t like it _mattered_.

But it was uncomfortable, because Max had never been angry with him before, and lately it seemed as if Isaac liked him more than Max did, which was mental. He had half a mind to try to talk it out with Max, but he had no idea _how_ , and thought that he’d be just as likely to make things worse. It was best, then, to let things blow over.

At least Sirius was still rooting for Gryffindor. If he’d rooted for Slytherin, instead, that would have been a sign that things were more wrong than Regulus thought. Regulus himself wasn’t sure who to root for – the year before, he’d rooted for Slytherin in this first match, but now…

Well, perhaps Gryffindor wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Halfway through the match, Sirius turned to Regulus and grinned. “Hey, Reg, come on, I’ve got an idea.”

Regulus didn’t follow so much as he was forcibly dragged out of the stands and back into the castle. It soon became clear that Sirius was dragging him to Gryffindor tower, which was when Regulus started to struggle.

“Sirius, I can’t afford to get detention! They’ll write Mum and Dad!” And Sirius knew as well as he did that their parents would kill him.

“Oh, don’t worry, we won’t get detention,” Sirius said, and no matter what Regulus tried, his brother didn’t let go of his wrist.

He stopped at a portrait of a fat lady, and Sirius cleared his throat and charmingly said, “Bowtruckle.”

The portrait swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room, which was completely deserted. “Called it,” Sirius said. “Come on, quickly.”

“Are you really going to play a prank on your own house?”

“Not on my _house_ ,” Sirius said. He dragged Regulus up one of the stairways, and into one of the dorm rooms.

“ _Please_ tell me you’re not playing a prank on your friends.”

Sirius grinned. “Maybe.”

“I’m not taking any part in this,” Regulus said.

“Aw, you’re no fun!” Sirius let go of him, and Regulus had half a mind to try to go back to the game, or at least to his own common room, but he also didn’t want to get caught, and knew, painful though it was, that Sirius was his best bet on getting out of Gryffindor Tower undetected.

Sirius dove into his trunk and pulled out a bottle of powder. “Itching powder,” Sirius said. He threw back his friends’ blankets and poured the powder liberally in their beds.

“They’re going to know this was you.”

“ _Relax,_ ” Sirius said. He threw his own sheets back and sprinkled some powder there, too, before replacing them. “I’m gonna make it look like it was Snivellus.”

This was a worse idea than Regulus had thought. Was James Potter somehow the brains behind the whole operation all along? Because surely Sirius wasn’t _that_ dense.

“You see, once they know it’s Snivellus – Remus will figure that he shouldn’t talk to Evans anymore, and I’ll have my friends back.”

Regulus didn’t think it would be that easy, but he also knew better than to try to argue with his brother when he was trying one of his harebrained schemes. So he stood quietly in the back of the dorm and thought about how best to actually go about resolving this issue.

* * *

Sirius came to dinner with hot pink hair and a deep scowl on his face. He sat down next to Regulus at the Ravenclaw table.

“Don’t tell me your friends saw through your genius plan,” Regulus drawled.

“Shut up and get me some bacon.”

Regulus passed the plate of bacon (which had appeared at Sirius’s demand – the House Elves were fast) to his brother and shot a meaningful look to his friends. They needed to take care of this. Although… Regulus had to admit that seeing his brother actually have to deal with the consequences to his actions for once was satisfying in its own way.

As Sirius stuffed half the plate of bacon into his mouth, though, Regulus knew the novelty of his brother getting what he deserved would wear off quickly, and if he didn’t do anything, he’d be stuck with a human puppy. Possibly forever.

That just wouldn’t do.

“Do I even want to ask what this plan was?” Isaac asked.

Sirius swallowed before saying, “I thought if I put itching powder in everyone’s beds that they’d think it was Snivellus and then they’d figure out that talking to Evans was bad news and I’d have my friends back.”

Isaac’s eyebrows had slowly inched up his face during Sirius’s explanation, and now they were nearly obscured by his fringe. “Er…”

“Why did you think that would work?” Max asked. “Itching powder doesn’t seem very Slytherin.”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time, all right?” Sirius huffed. He grabbed an extra serving of shepherd’s pie. “And I didn’t know they’d make my hair pink. I can’t wash it out. I’ve tried.”

Isaac picked at his fish rather than reply, and Regulus rather thought that was for the best. Regulus found himself momentarily envious of Isaac, with his perfectly normal Ravenclaw family. Surely David never did anything half as stupid as the things Sirius did regularly.

“Why don’t you just talk to them?” Max suggested, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Or is that another thing Blacks don’t know how to do?”

Regulus, somehow, felt as if this were a slight to him, specifically, and not to Sirius, but he reasoned that he was probably just being anxious and overreacting.

“I’m not going to sit round the fire and talk about my _feelings_ like some poof,” Sirius said.

“So that’s a yes, then,” Max said. “Honestly, you’ve no idea how many problems can be solved by just talking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isaac deserves a medal for dealing with this nonsense, and we'll see his point of view of the current drama next week in a one-shot in the series!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus goes to Isaac's bar mitzvah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To see what Max has been up to in the interim, read [Fremd unter dem anderen Jungen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16653388) feat. Isaac getting really tired of this bullshit

By the time the Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade station for Christmas holidays, Regulus and his friends were running out of ideas to get Sirius to make up with his friends. 

Regulus realised he loved his brother a lot more in moderation.

Sirius joined Regulus, Max, and Isaac in their compartment, and Regulus thought about how best to go about repairing his brother’s friendship with his best friends. Because this was getting ridiculous.

“You’re both coming to my bar mitzvah, right?” Isaac asked.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Max said.

“If I can get away,” Regulus said. He didn’t imagine his parents would let him go to a Jewish ceremony when they’d barely let him out of the house all summer.

“I’ll cover for you,” Sirius said. “You should go, and I know just how to sneak out of the house.”

“Great!” Isaac said. “Max’ll wait for you outside the shul.”

Max said something to Isaac in Yiddish, and Isaac shrugged and said something back. Regulus thought he could probably understand what they were saying if it weren't for the fact that they clearly used Yiddish to communicate between themselves. 

Sirius nudged Regulus. “Tu penses qu'ils comprennent le français ?”

Okay, so maybe Sirius wasn't too bad. But two months of prolonged interaction  _ was  _ a bit much. 

* * *

Regulus wasn't sure this would work, but by some stroke of luck, he and Sirius were alone in Grimmauld Place that afternoon. Their parents were out visiting with Narcissa and had told Regulus and Sirius to stay inside and behave. 

“You're welcome,” Sirius said, and Regulus looked up from his book. 

“What?”

“Who do you think wrote cousin Cissa to have Mum and Dad visit today?”

“You… wrote Cissa?”

Sirius shrugged and leaned against the library door frame. “I told her they'd been very harsh with you all summer - which isn't a lie - and that you wanted to see your friends - which also isn't a lie.”

“And she  _ agreed_?”

“You're her favourite,” Sirius said. “I mean, there was some convincing about how your Half-Blood friends are totally respectable and definitely support you growing up within the family and having lots of spoiled pureblood children, but eventually she listened.”

“Oh,” Regulus said. 

“Anyway, it's in Finchley, right? You can take the Knight Bus or you can try for Muggle transit. I’ve still got some Muggle money stashed away.”

* * *

Regulus felt extremely anxious as he managed to find the synagogue. It was a rather nondescript-looking building, with Hebrew lettering above the door. Max stood outside, reading a book.

Max smiled when he saw him, but it didn't seem genuine. He also didn’t go immediately to hug him, which Regulus took to mean they were still fighting. When Max turned to lead him inside, Regulus caught him by the arm. “Can we talk? I’ve obviously done something to bother you, and I hate it.”

Max met Regulus’s gaze. “Fine,” he said. “But later. Took you a while to get here; it’s about to start.”

“Sorry; I had to navigate the Muggle trains,” Regulus said. “Sirius wrote me some directions, but they weren’t of much help.”

Max seemed surprised at that, but he said, “Let’s just go inside, okay?”

Regulus followed him into the building, down a hall, and stopped at a set of doors. Max took two of the Ravenclaw blue skullcaps in the basket by the door and handed one to Regulus. “Put this on.” He handed Regulus a booklet that had been handed to him by one of the ushers while he flipped through his own copy. “Huh, I’ve never seen one that also explains the wizarding bits.”

“Isaac’s mum’s a Muggleborn – her family is probably here.”

Max put his skullcap on, and pinned it into place. “Probably. You ready to go in?”

Regulus nodded and followed him inside.

* * *

“You came!” Isaac said when he managed to get away from all of the adults congratulating him.

“That’s a  _ very _ traditional tallit, Isaac,” Max teased. Isaac blushed and rolled his eyes. He wrapped the shawl closer around himself. 

“You’re just jealous because you won’t get to wear one for another six months.”

“It looks nice,” Regulus said, although he didn’t know if it was supposed to look any differently. Isaac  _ did _ look handsome, though, and the shawl suited him.

Isaac grinned and hugged him. “See? You Scamanders just don’t care for tradition.”

“You’ve got me there,” Max said. “That  _ might _ be why we’re not Masorti.”

Isaac laughed. “I can’t picture  _ either _ of your parents in a Masorti shul week after week.”

“Oh, Dad definitely not. Mum says she grew up Orthodox, though.”

Isaac’s gaze flitted over to where Max’s parents were talking to some adults Regulus didn’t recognize. “I can’t see it.”

“I can’t, either,” Max admitted. “But she swears it.”

* * *

Isaac was whisked off by some adults, and Max and Regulus were left alone. 

“So,” Regulus said, “are you going to talk to me?”

Max looked around the social hall. “Let’s go outside.”

Regulus followed him outside and to a park about a block away.

“It’s just,” Max said, sitting down on one of the swings, “would you really care if your brother were gay?”

Regulus furrowed his brows.  _ That _ was what this was all about? For two months? “Max, that was two months ago.”

“That’s not really an answer, Reg.”

Regulus thought it was strange that, for all of Max’s willingness to overlook Regulus’s thoughts on pureblood supremacy (although those thoughts  _ had _ certainly changed drastically since last September),  _ this _ was what he struggled with.

“He’s my  _ brother_,” Regulus said. “It’s not an issue of me  _ caring_, it’s that I’ve known him my whole life. Surely if he  _ were _ gay, I would know by now.”

“But you have to admit, his behaviour with his friends is strange.”

“Oh, if we’re talking about my brother being  _ strange_, then I would never deny that.”

“It just seemed to me,” Max said, slowly, looking at his lap, “that what you were saying sort of… bordered on homophobic. A-and if Sirius  _ is _ gay, then… you should be able to say that you’d support him without condition.”

“He’s my  _ brother_,” Regulus said.

“So it should be easy, then.”

“Max,” Regulus tried, “you have to understand that I’ve never really… been allowed to think that such a thing  _ exists_.”

“But it does.”

“You’re right,” Regulus said, “but that doesn’t mean that I’ve ever… encountered it. It’s not like… with Muggleborns, where I’ve met Muggleborns who defied everything my parents had ever told me about them.”

“Reg, I’m  _ sure _ you’ve met gay people before.”

“Not where I’ve known they were gay.”

Max rolled his eyes. “Okay,” he said. “Well, we can definitely fix that. Because you know – gay people aren’t any different from straight people.”

Gay people couldn’t carry on their family lines, and that was foremost in his family. Not that, really, Regulus  _ expected _ Sirius to carry on the family line.

“There’s nothing  _ wrong _ with it,” Max said. “Even if you couldn’t imagine being with another boy.”

There was something to that – just the hint of a suggestion, really, that made Regulus’s stomach flip. Being with another boy –  _ kissing _ another boy…

“No,” Regulus agreed, voice strangely hoarse, trying to shake that thought from his mind. He was a Black; there was no room for any of that, especially when Sirius was clearly unwilling to carry on the family line. “No, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s simply that I rather think it’s more likely that my brother is racist than gay.”

“He could be both,” Max said.

Regulus sat down on the swing next to him. “Yeah,” he said. “I suppose he could be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always amazed how b'nei mitzvah programs explain even the most basic Jewish things, and I figure for Isaac - whose mother is a Muggleborn - they'd probably also explain the most basic Wizarding things.  
> Max and Regulus - who grew up without much/any contact to Muggle culture - would doubtlessly be perplexed by that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus asks for help with Herbology.

Regulus walked into Greenhouse Two with a sense of dread. He wouldn’t have the marks. He was falling behind Isaac and Max  _ both _ in the class, and Max wasn’t even  _ trying _ (but then when did Max ever try?).

On the bright side, Max wasn’t angry with him anymore. They were as close as ever, and it actually made Sirius  _ still _ hanging around them a little more bearable.

He stood between Max and Isaac as they worked with Fluxweed. He didn’t like Herbology, and perhaps that was part of the problem. With all of his other classes, there was a solid backing of theory, but with Herbology, it really seemed like you either got it or you didn’t. And Regulus didn’t.

Still, he knew he couldn’t afford less an E on his end of year exams.

“This is better than the Bowtruckles,” Max said. “I still think that was unfairly cruel.”

“You would,” Isaac muttered.

“Hey!” Max protested. “I’ll have you know that a Bowtruckle saved my parents’ lives! I wouldn't be here without them.”

Regulus wasn’t quite sure that story was true, like many of Max’s stories about creatures, but he was too overwhelmed by the Fluxweed to say anything to that effect.

* * *

Regulus waived his friends on after class, and lingered to speak with Professor Sprout. She seemed surprised to see him staying after, and he cut right to the chase. “Professor, I think I’m having trouble grasping the material.”

She smiled. “You’re a very good student, Mr. Black. I wouldn’t be too concerned if I were you.”

“Isaac and Max are both doing much better than I am,” he said, and he knew how little Max actually tried. “And I  _ can’t _ get less than an E.”

“The Sorting Hat knew what it was doing with you, didn’t it?” she asked. Regulus blushed, and he felt a sense of relief in that moment that Professor Sprout pegged this on his house rather than his family. “I can get you in touch with someone if you’re insistent.”

He felt instantly as if a rather large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “That would be  _ great_, Professor!”

“Let me ask around, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Thank you so much, Professor,” Regulus said.

* * *

At dinner, Lily Evans stopped by the Ravenclaw table. Regulus thought she was there to talk to Sirius, so he didn’t pay her much mind at first, but then she looked right at him.

“Hey, Regulus, can I talk to you?”

“Are you going to poach my brother now like you’ve poached my friends?” Sirius asked.

“I haven’t  _ poached _ anyone,” Lily said. “ _Remus _ and I are  _ friends_. Potter and Pettigrew are as abhorrent as  _ you _ are, Black.”

Max shot Regulus a knowing look, and Regulus snorted. “Sure, I’ll talk to you, Evans,” he said.

He followed her out of the Great Hall. “If this is about my brother, I’ve been trying to talk sense into him for months.”

Lily smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears. “It’s not about your brother. Actually, Professor Sprout reached out to me, and said that you wanted some extra help in Herbology.”

His mother would murder him for accepting help from a Muggleborn, but Regulus  _ knew _ Evans had to be gifted – only the talented and influential were collected by Slughorn, and she’d been in the Slug Club at least as long as he had.

“It’s not that I’m  _ bad _ at it,” Regulus said. “It’s that I got an E last year, and I can’t afford that again.”

“Remus  _ did _ say your parents have high expectations.”

“They do,” Regulus said. “Perhaps it’s simply that I had more time last year, without Quidditch.”

Lily Evans smiled at him. “I’m sure we can work something out between our schedules.”

“That sounds great. Thanks, Evans.”

“Lily,” she corrected.

“Lily,” he said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Lily said. “I’m glad to be able to help.”

* * *

Tutoring with Evans was more fun than it ought to have been. She was clever and kind, and had a talent for explaining things without making Regulus feel like an idiot. She had a way to make Herbology actually seem  _ interesting_.

“I had no idea  _ Herbology _ could be this methodical.”

Lily smiled. “That’s the secret. As with most subjects, there’s a method to the madness.”

He could see, really, why Evans was the center of all this bullshit with his brother. Which he, inevitably, asked her about.

Lily shrugged. “I don’t know  _ what _ his problem is. Remus Lupin’s the only friend of his I’m actually friends with – Potter and Pettigrew only hover nearby because Black isn’t there to distract them. And I don’t even spend  _ that much _ time with Remus! I’ve other friends!”

“I don’t know what his problem is, either,” Regulus said. “But I think he needs to get over whatever this is.”

“So you’ve no idea what’s with him, either?” Lily asked.

“No idea,” Regulus said, although truthfully, he had his ideas, as did Max and Isaac. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to run  _ those _ theories by Lily. No matter what it was, Sirius would look bad: racist, gay, or in love with someone who  _ obviously _ disliked him.

“I think Remus misses him. I know Potter does.”

“They should tell him, then,” Regulus said, “because he won’t listen to me.”

“Or,” Lily said with a devious grin, “we could plan to get them on good terms again. It’s a win-win-win: I don’t have to deal with Potter, Sirius gets his friends back, and you don’t have your brother following you around like a sad puppy.”

“That  _ is _ tempting.” And they could probably devise a better plan than Sirius himself. “Sirius certainly isn’t about to talk about his  _ feelings_.”

“And I’m sure your friends are eager to be rid of him.”

“I don’t think either of them have have ever had to deal with a Gryffindor for so long before,” Regulus said. “Let alone one like my brother.”

“I’ve an older sister,” Lily said. “Her name’s Petunia. She’s a Muggle, and she sort of… she’s bossy, like Sirius. So I think I sort of understand, at least a bit. Only she’s obsessed with being  _ normal_.”

Regulus snorted. “I don’t think Sirius wants to be  _ anyone’s _ idea of normal.”

“Definitely not,” Lily agreed. “We can talk with Max after the next Slug Club meeting, and come up with a plan then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting Chanukah ficlets starting tomorrow (some of which include some original characters from Ravenclaw AU), so this fic will take a break next week, but updates will continue on the 15th!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus and Max go to a Slug Club meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter introduces a few characters who will become much more important later on in the series.

Regulus did not miss the death glare Severus Snape was sending his way, which, as he whispered to Max, was absurd. Regulus’s interest in Evans was purely strategic: to do well in Herbology, and to get his brother out of his hair.

“He thinks you’re after that Mudblood he’s obsessed with.”

Regulus turned to see Evan Rosier. While they weren’t directly related (at least not anywhere recently), Evan’s father was Regulus’s Uncle Alphard’s very best friend (although, lately, Regulus had begun to wonder if there’d been something more there), and was also the brother of Narcissa’s mother. Evan was in the year below him, and a Slytherin, so they’d really only seen each other at Slug Club meetings as of late.

“Evan,” Regulus greeted politely. He knew he had to be careful about Rosier – he  _ certainly _ couldn’t correct his usage of a slur. Rosier’s closeness with Narcissa likely meant that he was ferrying reports on him. “You know as well I do that I’ve no interest in a  _ Gryffindor_.”

“Oh,  _ I _ know that. But there  _ have _ been rumours of the two of you hanging round together alone.”

Regulus could see that Max was itching to say something, so he said, “We’re trying to get my brother to stop badgering me. Working together for the greater good and all.”

Evan didn’t look like he believed a word of it. “I see.”

“Evan, have you  _ ever _ known me to show interest in anyone like her?”

“Truthfully, I’ve only known you to show interest in Half-Blood Ravenclaw  _ boys_.”

It was a fair shot, and the implication made Regulus’s stomach churn. He wasn’t interested in Max  _ or _ Isaac – not like  _ that! _ He wasn’t interested in  _ any _ boy like that! Just because he hadn’t shown much outward interest in  _ girls_… it didn’t mean he was interested, instead, in boys.

“Rosier,” Max said. “Like Dorian Rosier?”

“That’s my father,” Evan said stiffly and haughtily, as if he considered Max to be beneath him. Which, well, he probably did.

“I know if Dorian Rosier were  _ my _ father, I wouldn’t be speculating about  _ other _ boys not paying mind to girls. But that’s just me.”

Of all the stupid things to say – and now Evan had his wand out and was pointing it at Max.

“Evan, stop it,” Regulus said, reaching into his pocket for his own wand, just in case, some of his sense having come back to him. “You started it – and you should  _ really _ know better than to insinuate that I’d be interested in anyone  _ except _ for a proper pureblood witch – and one from the Sacred Twenty-Eight at that. I might be a Ravenclaw, but I fully acknowledge that family duty takes precedent.”

“That doesn’t give this  _ Half-Blood _ any right to spew that libellous rubbish about my father!” Regulus noticed, dimly, that Barty was sauntering over, Snape skulking behind him. Fantastic. Just what they needed.

“Oi, what’s going on over here?” Barty asked.

“Oh,” Regulus said easily. “I think Evan forgets himself. Forgets who he’s talking to. He’s just a first year, after all, but… I would think even a first year would know better than to insinuate what he was insinuating about Orion and Walburga Black’s son.”

Barty surely recognized that the only thing to do would be to reprimand Evan. “And why’s he got his wand out?”

“I simply reminded him of his father’s reputation,” Regulus said, because if Barty knew that  _ Max _ had been the one to say it… it wouldn’t have ended well.

“Not your best move, Black,” Barty said.

“Perhaps not, but there’s no need to raise a wand.” Regulus glanced over to where Slughorn was deep in discussion with Dirk Cresswell, and, really, of all people? He just hoped Lily Evans didn’t pull her Gryffindor bullshit and try to rescue them. That  _ certainly _ wouldn’t help his case.

Barty looked from Regulus to Evan and heaved a sigh. “Rosier, you can hex him  _ later, _ when Slughorn isn’t ten feet away.”

Evan glared at both of them.

“Write our darling cousin and tell her that I’m the biggest poof in the world, for all I care,” Regulus said, sounding much more confident than he felt. “You think she’ll believe you?”

“Cousin?” Max asked.

“Narcissa,” Evan and Regulus said at once.

“Of  _ course _ this is more Black family bollocks,” Max said. “When is it ever anything else?”

Truthfully, it was rarely anything else, but Regulus knew better than to just admit to that outright. “I rather think Evan’s confused because while Narcissa  _ is _ half Rosier… he’s certainly not half Black.”

“Reg, honestly, I’ve neither the interest nor the patience for all these pureblood politics.”

Neither had he, really, but he couldn’t say that in front of Evan and Barty. “It’s not nearly as complicated as it seems,” Regulus said. “As it is…” – he glanced over to Slughorn, who was no longer talking to Cresswell and was, instead, eyeing their little group with curiosity  – “perhaps we should all take a deep breath before we  _ all _ get detention for attempting to duel.”

* * *

Lily Evans caught him by his arm on his way up toward Ravenclaw tower. Regulus was glad the Slytherins had gone back to their common room, or else he’d never live this down.

“What was all that?”

Regulus shrugged. “Snape thinks I’m  _ after _ you, evidently, and Rosier kept insisting I was a poof.”

“I didn’t even realise you  _ knew _ Rosier, Reg,” Max said.

“He’s extended family. My Uncle Cygnus is married to his Aunt Druella. I always see him at New Year’s and Easter, at least. Before I went to school, I’d see him a few more times in the year. It’s not as if we were ever  _ friends. _ And I couldn’t – before anyone starts, I  _ couldn’t _ tell him not to use slurs or act like Half-Bloods  _ aren’t _ beneath us, because I’m certain he’s ferrying reports back to my parents. It’s going to be bad enough when he tells everyone that I didn’t insist his father isn’t…”

“Gay?” Max tried. “But that’d come back on you, too, with your uncle…”

“Exactly why I should’ve insisted they were  _ just friends_.”

Lily looked visibly uncomfortable; she was walking with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “Your family sounds awful.”

“They are,” Regulus agreed. “Sirius and Cissa are okay – both in  _ moderation_, of course.”

“There’s a whole list of things I’ve learned the Blacks just don’t  _ do_, like tell people they love them, hug their children, talk about feelings…”

Regulus buried his hands in his pockets, feeling awkward, and as if on cue, Max threw an arm around his shoulders. 

“So,” Max said. “What are we to do about Sirius? Because, while I’m starting to wonder if Isaac’s  _ truly _ as annoyed with him as he pretends to be, he  _ is _ incredibly draining to be around, and I think we’d all like it if he went back to his own friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've compiled a chronological list of all of the fics I've written that technically fit within this AU (including past and future fic, some of which I've posted for Chanukah), which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ravenclaw_au/profile#faq), because not all of them are in the series proper (obligatory disclaimer that just about every one of the future fics contains some sort of spoiler)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus talks to Sirius's friends

“Jamie’s pissed you’re hanging round with Evans,” Sirius said a few days later at breakfast.

Regulus sipped at his pumpkin juice. “Do I look like I care what James Potter thinks? I’ve no interest in dating Evans.”

There was nothing wrong with Lily Evans, of course, and Regulus even found her quite pleasant to interact with. That didn’t mean that he wanted to _date_ her. He wasn’t sure why – maybe it was because she was a Gryffindor, maybe it _was_ that she was a Muggleborn – but the thought of interacting with her in any romantic context made him feel absolutely nothing.

“We must be the only two in the school.”

“As I’ve said _multiple_ times before,” Max said, “ _I_ have no interest in dating Evans.”

“Okay, so three of us.”

“Sirius,” Regulus said, “you’ve really _got_ to get over this stupid argument you’re having with your friends.”

“It’s not that we don’t like spending time with you,” Isaac said, “because we do, like, you’re really cool, and fun…”

Where had that come from? Sirius definitely wasn’t the sort of person he’d think Isaac would like, but Regulus shrugged it off. “The point is,” Regulus said, “that maybe… you might want to start planning pranks with your _Gryffindor_ friends instead of with us.”

Sirius heaved a dramatic sigh. “Look, Reg, you don’t understand.”

“I think you’ll find we’re all pretty clever at this table. I’m sure if you explain it, we’ll catch on quick.”

“Remus Lupin is a pompous prick, and a traitor.”

“Okay, and what about Potter and Pettigrew?”

“They stood by and let it happen!”

“Sirius,” Regulus said, “you _have_ to realise how ridiculous that sounds. They’re your _friends_. Surely they’ve tried to bridge the gap.”

Sirius crossed his arms. “They’re all pricks.”

Regulus took that as a yes. “What would they have to do for you to stop fighting with them?”

“Not talk to Evans, for one.”

“Again,” Max said, “you _really_ need to just talk about your feelings. That would solve this whole problem.”

Regulus was inclined to agree at this point, and was slowly realising that Lily was right: the only recourse they had left was to sit Sirius’s friends down and explain to them that Sirius didn’t know _how_ to talk about his feelings, but that they needed to resolve this.

It was either that or lock them in a broom closet together, but that lacked any kind of elegance.

* * *

It had turned out to be _painfully_ easy to get Lupin, Potter, and Pettigrew into a disused classroom on the fourth floor to discuss the Sirius Problem with them.

“I don’t know how you expect to fix this,” James Potter said. “We’ve already tried everything.”

“So hexing his hair to be hot pink was… what, a truce?” Regulus asked.

“He put itching powder in all our beds and tried to blame it on the Slytherins!”

Regulus pretended that this was the first time he was hearing of this, but he wasn’t quite sure he’d pulled it off. “Regardless of whatever _stupid_ things my brother has done… he’s getting on my last nerve.”

“I’ve _tried_ to tell him to talk about it,” Max said, “but he refuses to listen.”

Potter snorted at that. “Don’t you think that’s the first thing I tried after he didn’t come around after a few days?”

“Sirius doesn’t know _how_ to talk about his feelings,” Regulus said. “ _Feelings_ aren’t exactly seen as very important in our family.”

“You’ve seemed to turn out decently,” Remus Lupin said dryly from his chair. “Sirius wouldn’t do anything like this.”

“He’s still shite at talking about his feelings,” Max said, “don’t let this fool you. I don’t think ‘better at talking about his feelings than Sirius’ is a high bar.”

“Thanks for the support,” Regulus grumbled.

“Oh, you know I love you,” Max said, with an ease Regulus was sure he could never muster. “But you _are_ shite at talking about your feelings.”

“That’s not the point,” Regulus said, unsure of how to convey to Max that, of course, he cared deeply for him and wanted only the best for him. Max… did have a point, there, if he were honest. “The point is that you lot,” here he turned to the Gryffindors, “need to figure out how to get my idiot brother out of our hair.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s an _idiot,”_ Lupin said.

“I’m not getting stuck on semantics,” Regulus said.

 _“I’d_ certainly call him an idiot, if it helps, Remus,” Lily said with a deceptively angelic smile.

“I don’t know what you want, Regulus,” Potter said. “We’ve all tried. It hasn’t worked.”

Regulus considered it. “What he really wants is for Lily and Lupin to stop being friends.”

“Which isn’t going to happen,” Lily said. “I’m not letting Sirius Black dictate who I can be friends with.”

“I sort of thought – he’s not doing this because Lily’s a _Muggleborn_ , is he?” Potter asked.

Regulus shrugged. “I’ve no idea. We’ve all come up with different possibilities, and I don’t think, at this point, the _why_ matters as much as ending it.”

“What do you propose?” Lupin asked. “Because this is _ridiculous_ , as if I can’t have friends outside the two we share.”

“Well, Regulus disagrees, of course,” Max said, “but _I_ think, Lupin, if you sat him down and explained to him that your friendship with Lily doesn’t mean you care for him any less, or that there’s any deficiency in _your_ friendship… he might listen.”

“That sounds a bit…” Potter started, and Regulus could tell how he wanted to finish: gay. And it did, but Max had a point.

“My theory was to show him that Lily has her own devious side, but she’s not agreed to that,” Regulus said.

“I’m not befriending Sirius Black,” Lily said primly.

“But you’re on first name basis with his swotty brother,” Potter said.

“Regulus isn’t a bullying toerag,” Lily said.

“I’ll talk to him,” Lupin said. “Before you two kill each other.”

“Aw, Remus, you know I’d _never_ hurt Evans!” Potter whined.

“The trick will be getting Sirius to talk to _me_ ,” Lupin said, ignoring Potter’s outburst. Perhaps Sirius did have decent taste in exactly one friend.

“Max and I can take care of that,” Regulus said.

Perhaps stealing his brother’s wand and shoving him into a broom closet alone with Remus Lupin hadn’t been the kindest thing to do, nor the most elegant solution, but Regulus was sick to death of his brother’s constant presence, and besides, it worked. The next morning at breakfast, Sirius sat right between Potter and Lupin and waved at Regulus, who sighed and rested his head on Max’s shoulder.

“ _Finally.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also! it's Isaac's birthday, so from now until the next chapter comes up, I'll answer any questions you have about him whatsoever (including spoilers, AUs, and just general info), either here or on my [tumblr](http://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com/)!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa has a talk with Regulus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa is back!

The rest of winter term had passed, blessedly, without incident. They’d actually managed to beat Slytherin during their Quidditch match. Regulus had caught the snitch before the Slytherin Seeker had even seen it. Barty Crouch had been furious for a week afterward. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs stopped Regulus in the corridors to congratulate him for a match well-played, and Regulus didn’t even notice Easter holidays coming up until it was time to pack.

He received an owl from Narcissa on the second day of holidays, requesting his presence for tea that very afternoon.

Regulus had never particularly enjoyed going to the country estate that served as his Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella’s primary residence, much less on a dreary day in late March, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Narcissa, after all, had written him herself to invite him over for tea, and Regulus had no good reason not to go. So he went, dressed in the appropriate dress robes for tea with his cousin.

They sat in the side parlour, as the garden was too wet, and Regulus was surprised to find it just the two of them. He’d anticipated, somehow, some other company. Narcissa looked as gorgeous and polished as ever, and Regulus wondered if this had to do with what had happened at school. It wasn’t  _ his _ fault Sirius had had a ridiculous fight with his friends and clung to Regulus for dear life! And they’d resolved it, anyway. What was he supposed to have done? Shoved his brother away because he was a blood traitor?

Or, Regulus wondered, was this because he’d allowed himself to be tutored by a Muggleborn, and had interacted with her in a polite, if not friendly, manner?

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve invited you here,” Narcissa said.

“I must admit, I’m curious. While I certainly enjoy your company… I know how much you love having tea in the gardens.”

“This couldn’t wait,” Narcissa said. Regulus thought she was acting strange, and preening more than usual, and it took him a full ten seconds longer to notice the ring on her finger.

“You’re  _ engaged_?” he asked.

Narcissa nodded, clearly proud of herself. “Lucius asked just last weekend, so naturally, we’re really still in the  _ pre-planning _ stage…”

Regulus was sure this wedding would be ridiculous and lavish… Narcissa was bad enough with that, but  _ Malfoy _ was synonymous with ostentatious. He didn’t understand why his cousin was settling for that idiot.

“Congratulations,” Regulus said, managing to recover somewhat.

“Thank you,” Narcissa said. “Someday it will be you, of course, but we’ve got a while to wait for that.”

A long while. Regulus’s mother ceaselessly complained that he’d be lucky to find a wife without having to go to the continent.

“Anyway, I know we’re in the pre-planning stage, but you have  _ always _ been my favourite cousin.” Not that her choices were that great: it was him, Sirius, Evan, or baby Felix. Sirius was… Sirius. Evan was hot-headed and none too good at listening to directions. And Felix couldn’t have been more than six years old. “I’d really like you to take part in the wedding.”

“Oh,” Regulus said. He sipped at his tea to buy himself time. 

“What do you say?”

What  _ could _ he say? He knew he couldn’t say  _ no_. It was Narcissa, and family duty didn’t  _ just _ mean marrying some prim and proper pureblood witch. It meant behaving in a way expected for an heir to the most ancient and noble House of Black. “Of course,” he said after a beat.

“Don’t worry,” Narcissa said in what Regulus assumed was the gentlest tone she could muster. “I know you’re very busy with classes and Quidditch. I wouldn’t ask you to do something that requires a lot of work.”

“Thank you,” Regulus said. “I appreciate your consideration.”

“Evan will be in attendance as well… have you two spoken much this year?”

Regulus thought back to his encounter with Evan at that Slug Club meeting. “A bit,” he said.

“I think it would be in your best interests to try to befriend him. Be a friendly face to show him the ropes.”

“Cissa,” Regulus said, “you must  _ really _ be lovestruck, because I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so glaringly transparent before.”

Narcissa had the grace to blush and look demurely into her cup of tea. “Your mother worries.”

“I’m going to make this clear,” Regulus said, “I’m not abandoning my friends.”

“Befriending Evan would hardly necessitate abandoning your other friends, Reg,” Narcissa said.

“It would, considering who Evan hangs around. His father has deigned that he should spend time with Mulciber and Avery.”

Narcissa pursed her lips. “Uncle Dorian has always had a proclivity to overcompensate,” she said. “Evan is a sweet boy, really. Nowhere near as sweet as you are, of course, but..”

“Did he ever write you that letter to tell you I was a poof because I didn’t want to snog a Muggleborn?” Regulus asked, which was stupid, and maybe Sirius had rubbed off on him.

Narcissa hesitated for a fraction of a second. “His claims seemed a bit… excessive and unfounded.” 

Regulus felt a swell of relief at that. Narcissa favoured him; she’d believe him over Evan.

“Although… ‘ _Muggleborn’_?” Narcissa asked. “Can you really not bring yourself to call a Mudblood a Mudblood?”

“Force of habit,” Regulus lied. “Ravenclaw is such a mixed bag, you know, and one can never be too safe.”

“I see,” Narcissa said. “Really, Regulus, just go play Gobstones with Evan.”

“Evan thinks I’m a poof and a blood traitor in training. I’m not sure there’s any possibility for friendship there.”

“Then prove to him that you aren’t, honestly.” She sipped at her tea, and Regulus wondered how, exactly, he would even begin to go about proving to Evan Rosier that he wasn’t gay. Or a blood traitor (especially since he was fairly certain he disagreed with most everything his parents had to say about blood). “And I sincerely hope, for your sake, that you’re not showing this much backbone to your mother.”

“So what if I am?” Regulus asked.

“You see how she treats Sirius. She’s lenient with you now because she thinks you listen obediently to everything she says.” She set her teacup down on the table. “Regulus, you know I would  _ never _ tell her what Evan said about you, but if Evan’s saying it, then you have to wonder who else is.”

Regulus could think of a select few, but thought it wise not to name names. “I can handle this myself, Narcissa, and I hardly think the solution is befriending someone who spreads nasty rumours about me.”

“Very well,” Narcissa said. “Then let’s talk about the wedding. Lucius and I were rather thinking early summer – that way, you and Evan both would be able to attend – and we’d have a year to truly plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Compare with [chapter two of La Magique étude du Bonheur](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15735828/chapters/36587883#workskin) and [Quelle âme est sans défauts ?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15797229).


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac gets a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise mid-week update!
> 
>  
> 
> ~~and it's only fitting that we start 20biteen with a chapter about Isaac~~

“Hide me!” Isaac hissed, and Max and Regulus exchanged a confused look. It was a crisp spring day, and they’d been studying together in the courtyard when Isaac had panicked, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Why?”

Isaac had already ducked behind Regulus, who was the tallest of the trio. Regulus scanned the courtyard for anyone Isaac might have been hiding from, but there didn’t appear to be a Slytherin in sight, and he couldn’t see David, either.

“Who are you hiding from?” Max asked.

“I went and made an arse of myself in front of Emmeline Vance last week in the common room, and I can’t let her see me.”

“Hey! Emmeline!” Max called across the courtyard to where she was talking with her friends, and Regulus snickered when she turned to look at them.

“ _Max_ ,” Isaac whined.

“We share a common room with her, mate, and all our classes. You can’t avoid her forever.”

Regulus moved aside, and Isaac made an unbecoming squawking sound. He shot Regulus a dirty look, and Regulus shrugged.

Emmeline waved at them, and Isaac muttered, “I hate you both,” under his breath.

* * *

Later, in the safety of their dorm, Isaac threw himself onto his bed with a huff. “I think I fancy Vance,” he said.

“She’s pretty,” Max said, sneaking up on Thalia to try to touch the little round pads on her paws. Thalia swatted at him.

“She’s  _ gorgeous_,” Isaac said, “and she’s clever and kind and I  _ keep making an arse out of myself in front of her_.”

Regulus thought about Emmeline Vance, then. She was pretty, that was true, and all Ravenclaws were meant to be clever. Regulus had always found her to be kind, but he didn’t understand what Isaac saw in her. There really wasn’t anything  _ extraordinary _ about her.

But then maybe that was just because she was a Half-Blood, and he was a Black.

He couldn’t really think of a girl in their year – or in the school in general – that would meet his standards, but then all of the ones his family would deem  _ acceptable _ disliked him on principle of not being a Slytherin, like he should have. There were some pureblood witches in Gryffindor, he knew, but… they were  _ Gryffindors_. All of the Ravenclaw girls in his year were Half-Bloods or Muggleborns.

It was only natural, then, that Regulus wouldn’t find any of them attractive.That he didn’t feel any drive to kiss and touch and hold them. 

He didn’t voice this to Max or Isaac, who were both Half-Bloods and would likely be offended, so instead he said, “If you’d like… we could talk to her for you.”

Isaac sighed in relief. “Would you?”

“Sure,” Regulus said, “Right, Max?”

“Absolutely,” Max said.

“ _Thank you_ ,” Isaac said.

* * *

And so, a week later, while Isaac holed up in their dorm room with thick, intimidating books in Hebrew, Regulus and Max managed to track down Emmeline. It wasn’t difficult – she was studying in the common room when they came down from their dorm.

“Hey, Emmeline, mind if we join you?” Max asked.

Emmeline glanced up at them. “Oh, no, not at all!”

So they did, with their homework so as to not seem too suspicious. Max pulled open his Charms textbook. “I’m rubbish at Charms,” he said.

Regulus rolled his eyes. “Your idea of rubbish is an E.”

“You’re one to talk,” Max said. “Mr. ‘I desperately need Herbology tutoring because my E is just too dismal’.”

“You know who’s great at Charms?” Regulus said instead of taking Max’s bait. “Isaac.”

“Why aren’t you studying with him?” Emmeline asked.

“Well,  _ I _ don’t need help in Charms,” Regulus said, “but he was doing some recreational reading in Hebrew last I saw him.”

“Show off,” Max muttered.

“Max, don’t you have a bar mitzvah soon?” Emmeline asked.

Max shrugged. “July. And we’re liberal, so it’s mostly in English.”

“Isaac, though,” Regulus said, “his was almost all in Hebrew.”

“As I’ve said,” Max said, “he’s a show off.”

Regulus kicked at Max’s foot as discreetly as possible. They were supposed to be  _ helping _ Isaac, not complaining about him to the girl he fancied.

“Ow!” Max cried. “Reg, what’d you do that for?”

“Foot slipped,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Regulus,” Emmeline began, “have you got anything interesting going on?”

Regulus shrugged. “Just Quidditch. I’ve already decided what courses to take next year.”

“Ooh, which ones?”

“Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.”

“Traitor,” Max said. “Take Care of Magical Creatures with  _ me_.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “My father didn’t write the textbook, and Kettleburn is missing most of his limbs – that doesn’t exactly scream ‘safe’.”

Max waved a hand idly in the air. “That’s just because Kettleburn’s… Kettleburn.”

“What about you, Emmeline?”

“The same, actually,” she said. “Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.”

“Isaac will be in Arithmancy with us,” Regulus said, “but he’s taking Muggle Studies for some reason. His Mum’s a Muggleborn; it’s not as if he needs it.”

“That’s true,” Max said.

“Oh, you’re one to talk.”

“It’s different. My grandparents aren’t Hippogriffs.” Max tapped his chin thoughtfully with his book. “Although… Gran _ did _ used to breed them…”

Of course she had. Even Emmeline’s eyebrows did a funny twitch at that.

“It’s like you have no earthly idea of what normality is,” Regulus said.

“Says _Regulus_ _Black_ ,” Max said. “I’d never argue that my family’s _normal_ … but yours isn’t, either.” Max threw his arm around Regulus’s shoulder. “I don’t think I could ever _do_ normal.”

“No,” Regulus agreed. “I don’t think you could.”

“That’s why we’re best friends.” Max lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper and leaned in slightly toward Emmeline. “Truthfully, I think Isaac’s jealous of us.”

* * *

Emmeline caught Regulus after Quidditch practise. “Can we talk?”

Regulus could think of no good reason to say no, and, anyway, he was meant to be talking Isaac up to her. Max had sort of bungled that the night before. “Sure,” he said. He shifted his broomstick on his shoulder, which he imagined probably looked cool.

“I don’t want to overstep… I know we’re  _ friendly_, but I’m not sure if we’re actually  _ friends.” _

“We’re friends,” Regulus said, because… well, he rather thought they might be.

Emmeline smiled, and Regulus felt a split second moment of absolute terror. Did she fancy  _ him? _ He didn’t find her objectionable, of course, and he enjoyed talking to her, but… he didn’t think of her that way, and, besides,  _ Isaac _ fancied her.

“You and Isaac Goldstein…” she trailed off, and Regulus furrowed his brows.

“What?”

“Forgive me if this is… out of line.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then looked Regulus dead in the eye. “Have you… you and Isaac, you’re just friends?”

Regulus wasn’t sure what, exactly that was supposed to mean.  _ Everyone _ knew he and Isaac were friends. “Er, yeah, we’re friends.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Emmeline said. “Do you, you know,  _ fancy _ Isaac? I wouldn’t tell anyone, I swear!”

It was so absurd that Regulus almost laughed. Almost. Him? Fancy  _ Isaac_? “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Emmeline, Isaac and I are both blokes.”

She shrugged. “Blokes can fancy other blokes. It’s perfectly natural.”

She didn’t seem to be budging, and he didn’t think there was anything resembling a joke in her behaviour. He thought, then, of Evan Rosier’s blatant accusation, of Narcissa’s reaction when he’d brought up the letter, of Max’s words on that bloody Muggle swingset in Finchley.

“Does  _ everyone _ think I’m a poof?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t use that  _ word_,” Emmeline said, but she didn’t deny it.

In another situation, with another family waiting for him in a little over a month when he went home for summer holidays… he might have used the analytical nature that had gotten him put in Ravenclaw in the first place to think on this. As it was, he shoved it down.

“I’m  _ not_,” he said, quietly but firmly. “And I don’t fancy  _ Isaac_, of all people.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Emmeline said. “If you do, or you are. And you’ve got people who will support you.”

“That’s great, Emmeline, but I don’t, and I’m not.” He rolled his eyes. “This is probably some breach of friendship, or what have you, but the  _ reason _ I was talking Isaac up is because  _ he _ fancies  _ you_.”

Emmeline frowned. That wasn’t a good sign. “Oh.”

“And you  _ can’t _ tell him I told you. But I’m not.”

“I won’t tell him anything,” Emmeline said. “I promise.”

“I like  _ girls,” _ he said. Just because he couldn’t think of a single girl he’d date at the moment didn’t mean anything. 

“All right,” Emmeline said. “I’m sorry for… assuming.”

“It’s fine,” Regulus lied. He knew, at least, that Emmeline hadn’t meant anything foul by suggesting it. “And, at the risk of assuming about you… Isaac hasn’t got a chance, has he?”

Emmeline grimaced. “Sorry. He’s nice, but…”

Regulus wasn’t sure that he wanted to know what was going to follow that  _ 'but'_. “I… suppose I’ll try to let him down easy.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus's second year at Hogwarts comes to an end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this is the last chapter!!

Regulus saw the snitch in plain sight – he knew the Gryffindor seeker, Fenwick, wouldn’t be far behind, so he dove, willing that his broom would win out – and closed his hand around the snitch.

Sirius’s voice boomed out (and, really, who had decided to let  _ Sirius _ commentate the matches) “And Black – Regulus, that is, not the handsome one – catches the snitch! Surprised he got his nose out of his books long enough, honestly…”

“Black!”

“Ravenclaw wins the game,” Sirius continued. “Bunch of ruddy swotts – no offense, Reg!”

* * *

Sirius always claimed that Gryffindor had a huge party whenever they won a Quidditch match. To Regulus’s great relief, Ravenclaw Tower, despite the House having just won the Quidditch Cup, was as peaceful as it normally was when the team arrived back. 

Multiple people did stop to congratulate them, and Regulus in particular, on a game (and season) well-played. 

Elizabeth Prewett promised to treat him to a Butterbeer on their first Hogsmeade trip the following year, because as a fifth year, she couldn't remember Ravenclaw having won the Quidditch Cup in all her time at Hogwarts, and such a thing did deserve some celebration. 

Regulus sank into one of the plush sofas. He couldn't believe it, not really. They'd won the Quidditch Cup, and would, likely, win the House Cup. Isaac flopped down next to him.

“You seem down,” Regulus observed. “I thought you liked Quidditch?”

“I do,” Isaac said. “And… congratulations, by the way.”

“So what is it?”

Isaac looked around and, apparently seeing what he wanted to see, leaned in close to whisper, “I asked Emmeline out.”

And she’d turned him down. Regulus felt slightly guilty for not telling Isaac that Emmeline wasn’t interested, but he hadn’t been able to figure out how to say that without having to admit that he’d told Emmeline that Isaac fancied her. “I’m sorry,” Regulus said.

“I’m not going to get too bent out of shape about it,” Isaac said. “There’ll be other girls, and Emmeline’s not Jewish, besides.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Regulus asked.

“Well,” Isaac said, “There’s nothing wrong with _not_ marrying another Jew, I suppose, if that’s what, like, Max or David or Miri want to do. I certainly wouldn’t stop them. But _personally…_ _I_ wouldn’t marry someone who isn’t Jewish or wouldn’t convert. And I know – I’m _thirteen_ , marriage is a long way off. And if I restrict myself to dating Jewish girls at school…”

“...Are there even any Jewish girls in this school?” Regulus asked.

“Exactly,” Isaac said. After a beat, he said, “There are four. Two of them are my cousins.”

“Oh,” Regulus said. “First cousins, or…?”

Isaac laughed. “My god, that is  _ such _ a pureblood thing to ask. One’s my first cousin, the other is… a second cousin, I think? Either way, not going to happen.”

“You and Max are related, too, aren’t you?”

“Somewhere back there, yeah. I think… when our family was still in…  _ Galicia, _ I think? I don’t _think_ it was the Russian Empire, but it’s Poland now. At any rate, it was before my great-granddad Moshe, because he was born here, and Max’s family – the Jewish side – went from Poland to the States.”

Regulus knew that it was difficult to find a pureblood to whom he  _ couldn’t _ trace some relation, and it seemed to him as if Jewish wizards might have the same problem.

“It’s not as if – look, I’ll marry someone who’ll convert. Like Max’s dad – he converted, he’s Jewish. There aren’t very many Jews, and even fewer Jewish witches and wizards. Anyway, this is a moot point. I’m  _ thirteen_.”

“I suppose the likelihood of either of us meeting our future wives at this point in our lives is very slim.”

“Meeting, maybe. Unless you expect us to marry non-British girls. Getting together with… that’s another story.” Isaac stretched his legs. “She didn’t tell me why.”

“Did you ask?”

“I know better than to  _ ask _ why a girl doesn’t want to date me.”

That, Regulus thought, was probably a perfectly valid point. He really wasn’t sure why Emmeline didn’t want to date Isaac, and he hadn’t pushed. He supposed Isaac was a bit short, and perhaps a bit too serious most of the time, but he had his fun side. And he was handsome – now, in late May, he was perfectly tanned from time spent studying outside, and his hair had lightened in the sun. Really, there was no reason he could think of why Emmeline  _ wouldn’t _ want to date Isaac.

“Have you got your eye on anyone?” Isaac asked.

The question caught Regulus off-guard. He supposed Seraphina Greengrass seemed interested in him, but he wasn’t really interested in her. Emmeline was pretty, and kind – even if she thought he was interested in  _ Isaac _ – but he didn’t think he felt anything special for her. Lily Evans was doubtlessly wonderful, and Regulus knew most of the boys around his age fancied her, but she, too, didn’t interest him in that way. There was no girl that he could think of that he might want to date – to hold hands with and kiss.

“No,” he said. “Been too focused on Quidditch and school, I suppose.”

“You’ll find someone,” Isaac said. “And I’ll find someone who actually reciprocates my feelings.”

“At least we’ve won the Quidditch Cup,” Regulus said.

“Did you have  _ any _ idea how close Fenwick was? And did you see Potter’s  _ face? _ Reg, I swear, that’s going to be one of my best memories for the rest of my  _ life_.”

* * *

On the Hogwarts Express ride back to London, Regulus, Max, and Isaac got a compartment with Emmeline and her friend Dirk Cresswell, a Muggleborn Hufflepuff in their year, who Regulus knew vaguely from Slug Club. Cresswell was exactly the sort of person Regulus was sure his parents wanted him to avoid, but Regulus found he didn’t care.

“What exactly happened at that one Slug Club meeting between you and Rosier?” Cresswell asked Regulus about an hour into the ride.

Regulus knew exactly what Cresswell was talking about, but he shrugged. “Max would sum it up as ‘Black family bollocks’.”

“Because it’s the truth,” Max said. “I think Rosier got it in his head that Reg fancied Lily Evans, because she was tutoring him in Herbology.”

“That’s… the short of it, yes,” Regulus said. It was  _ not _ the short of it, and surely Max  _ knew _ that Rosier had been insistent that Regulus fancied  _ Max _ instead. Regulus wasn’t quite sure why he was lying – and he’d never known Max to lie before – but he found himself grateful for it.

“ _Anyway_ , my bar mitzvah is two weeks from today, and I’d better see all of you there,” Max said. “Cancel all your other plans.” He leaned to rest his head on Regulus’s shoulder. He smelled… oddly floral, and Regulus tried not to think too much on it. “Your parents still okay with it?”

“I think they’re looking forward to having Sirius and I out of the house for the weekend.” In truth, Regulus rather thought his parents hoped that Sirius would opt to just stay at James Potter’s all summer.

“And the  _ best _ part is that you get to spend  _ all weekend _ with us,” Max said.

“What about me?” Isaac asked.

Max waved his hand absently. “You’ll be there Friday night; we’ll all do something fun together.”

“I don’t think I’d want to spend a weekend with my roommates right at the beginning of holidays,” Cresswell said.

“We’re best friends,” Max said, as if it wasn’t obvious. “And if I haven’t annoyed them too much yet, I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll take the usual week break before year three comes up, but it's completed and ready to go!
> 
> Feel free to ask any questions you might have, or leave any comments, either here or on my [tumblr](http://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com)!  
> Thank you to everyone who's already left comments and kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com/) & [character guide](https://xslytherclawx.tumblr.com/chars).


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